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A single mother raises money for alternative cancer treatments in a bid to extend her life by just weeks after six failed chemotherapy treatments.
Rebecca Atton, 41, from Southend, Essex, was otherwise ‘fit and healthy’ when she was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer last December.
She’s been battling the deadly disease ever since, hoping to extend her life so she can spend more time with her daughter Ava.
In a recent YouTube video, Rebecca revealed that her sixth round of targeted cancer therapy had failed and that the cancer had now spread to her stomach lining, with tumors in her liver increasing in size.
Initially, the 41-year-old hoped her daughter would reach her teens, but after several failed therapies, she is willing to spend thousands of dollars on private treatment for just an extra month of her life, and is currently fundraising to pay for additional care.
Rebecca Atton, 41, a single mother from Southend, Essex (pictured with her daughter Ava) suffers from terminal colon cancer
10-year-old Ava’s mother wants to extend her life so she can spend time with her daughter, family and friends after a third type of treatment fails
The bank manager had no symptoms except abdominal pain, which was unusual for her – she sought treatment from the GP and was told the shocking news that she had terminal colon cancer at the age of 40
Talking about her prognosis about her fundraising pageand of why she’s raising money for alternative therapies, Rebecca said, “Let me be clear, I have less than a 10 percent chance of living five years.
“I am fully aware that the treatment will not cure me. However, it could extend my life.
“I plan to keep this page up to date with my progress and possible treatment options to be transparent about what these funds will be used for.”
In addition to two chemotherapy treatments, she is currently taking oxycontin, a potent opioid that has nearly double the power of morphine, to deal with the agonizing pain she suffers on a daily basis.
In her YouTube video she said: ‘My consultant wanted to see me after my last treatment, round six.
“I wasn’t feeling well and when I went in there, I got my chemo. I had to get up, was sleepy, and walked to the oncology ward.
Before finding out she had stage four colon cancer, the full-time working mother lived a fairly healthy lifestyle and went to the gym – she has tried to raise awareness of colon cancer in younger people, as the NHS fitness test is a standard for the age of 60 despite rising prevalence of the disease in younger people
“I was expecting the news, but I’m in pain — I could use many other words to describe it, but I’ll use those — because the treatment hasn’t worked.”
She continued: “My cancer is on the move. The tumors in my liver, which originated from the primary site of the gut, have increased in size and the cancer has also spread to my stomach lining.
‘Really damn news. I’m on my third line of treatment and that’s what worries me the most, will they tell me after this there’s nothing more they can do for me?
‘I am looking for a treatment that will cost £3,000 a month as it is not available on the NHS. My consultant isn’t a big fan, but it can give me another four weeks, so maybe it’s for me.
“I’m grateful that people have donated.”
The treatment Rebecca plans to undergo in addition to her chemotherapy is called Avastin and is not available on the NHS. While doctors aren’t hopeful about the treatment, the mother of one is determined to try every option possible.
According to the NHS.
The Essex mother hopes her last line of treatment besides chemotherapy will give her a few more weeks – as the cancer has spread to her stomach lining and the tumors in her liver have increased in size
It is licensed and can be prescribed in the UK, but it is not approved for use by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and therefore may not be widely available on the NHS.
Keeping people informed about what she will be using the fundraising for, Rebecca says, “Even if I give myself four more weeks, that’s still four weeks with my daughter and friends and family.”
Rebecca told FEMAIL earlier this year, “The drugs I take usually make me feel like a space cadet.
“Even now my friends can’t believe my diagnosis, my skin looks great, I haven’t lost my hair, I went to the gym regularly, I quit smoking before I turned 40 – but my time is limited, and I” I know this is the last chance I can spend with my daughter.
“Ava and I are very close, and her father has been fantastic while I’m in treatment, as has her stepmother.
On October 19, Rebecca discovered that the treatment hadn’t worked and was told by her consultant that the cancer had spread further.
“I know she also has a strong support network with my family.”
Little did the otherwise healthy bank manager know she had aggressive stage four cancer and only sought help after she developed a simple abdominal pain late last year.
She was shocked to find out she had colon cancer and campaigned to lower the age of the NHS fit test, claiming that if she had been given the test at age 30 she ‘wouldn’t be in this position now’ .
The fit test, usually offered to people over the age of 60, is a stool sample that tests for signs of colon cancer.
Due to the rising number of people aged 25-30 who have been diagnosed with colon cancer, countries such as Australia have been asked to lower the standard age for a fitness test, something Rebecca and her family hope will happen in the UK.